Ukraine to consult with foreign partners over controversial education law

Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-27 05:28:54|Editor: yan
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KIEV, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine will hold consultations with foreign partners over its newly-adopted education law amid fears that it may limit the rights of ethnic minorities living in the country.

Ukrainian Education Minister Liliya Grynevych told local media here Tuesday that "we will carry out consultations with our partners to explain to them how the law will be implemented and show them our education plan."

In particular, the Ukrainian education minister said she plans to hold talks on the issue with her Romanian counterpart on Wednesday and with Hungarian education minister on Oct. 19.

Earlier this month, Ukraine adopted the new education law, which envisages that Ukrainian will be the first language in all public secondary and high schools.

The legislation allows students to learn other languages as a separate school subject.

A string of countries, which have large ethnic groups in Ukraine, voiced their concerns that the legislation would deprive the national minorities to learn in their mother tongue.

In particular, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Russia have expressed concern over the bill, which is set to enter into force in 2020.

Currently, Ukrainian students, who study in public schools, are allowed to choose whether to be taught in Ukrainian or in the other language if this option is offered by the school.

According to local media, there are more than 700 schools across Ukraine, which provide lessons to about 400,000 students in the languages of the national minorities.

Ukraine has submitted the new education law to the Council of Europe for consideration.

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